Automobile-lock



J. W. HUNTER AND E. WILLIAMSON.

AUTOMOBILE LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15. 1919.

1,351,651, 'PatentedAug.31,1920.

I i MM ATTORNEYS WITNESSES UNEETED; v STATES. PA T: OFF CE 7 JAMES w. Hummus, or MOBILE, ANn-nnwfiv WILLIAMSON, or snLiviA, ALABAMA.

' AUTOMOBILE-LOCK.

Application filed December 15, 1919. Serial No. 345,022,

To all w/wmz't may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMESVV. HUNTER and EDWIN WVImLAMsoN, citizens of the United States, and residents of Mobile, in the county of-Mobile and State of Alabama,

and Selma, in the county of Dallas and- State of Alabama, have invented a new-and Improved Automobile-Lock, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description. j

This invention relates to improvements in automobile'locks, an object of the invention being to provide a lock or holding device which will prevent turning movement of the steering wheel and which can be readily moved from looking to unlocking position and vice versa, and securely look when in position to hold the wheel.- i

A further object is to provide a device of the character stated,which can be readily positioned on the steering column, which will be out of the way when notin locking position, andwhich canbe conveniently and quickly moved to hold the wheel and thus prevent steering of the automobile. and con,- sequent operation by any one except the rightful owner. 7

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described andipointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view in elevation illustrating our improvements; V

Fig. '2 is a view in elevation. at right angles to. Fig. 1 V

Fig. 3 is a top plan view;

Fig. 4 is a view in section on the line H of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view in section on the line 5-5 V of Flg. 1; Flg. 6 1s a view simllar to Fig. 5, showingthe parts when the split'collar is permitted to expand; and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in section on the'line 77 of Fig. 1. 1 represents an ordinary steering column, 2 a steering wheel which is securedto the I steering post 2 in the column 2, and 3 the spokes of the steering wheel, these parts hemg such as are common on automobiles in general use. 4 represents a split spring col lar which is positioned around the column 1 and may be conveniently located thereon tween the spokes.

Speeificationof Letters Patent. PateritedAug; 31, 1920.

split collar t is provided with a pair of perforated lugs 5 providing rotary mount pivot pin 6 and at its upper end-is provided with-a crossbar 8 adapted to engage e when the steering wheel is removed vThis I the upper faces of the spokes 3 when the" upper end of the bar {8 is position'ed'be- A spring tongue 9 is secured'to the lower end of the arm 7 and bears against the steer-.

ingcolumn 1. [This spring servesthe double purpose of preventing rattling and also tends to return the arm 7 to a vertical position'after it is swung to an angular positioin, as Will more fully hereinafter appear. on the ends of thepivot pin 6 and are made with transversely enlarged outer ends andwith. beveled or'inclined cam faces adjacent the lugs 5. hen the pivot pin 6 is turned in one direction, the cam faces engage the.

perforated lugs'5 so that when the armj7 .is' moved to a vertical. POSltlOIl, these cam blocks will move the perforated lugs 5 tocollar 45 ward each other and clamp the around the post 1.

A lock casing "11 is'secured to of the perforated lugs5' and is "provided with locking bolt 12 which is: adapted to be posi-- tioned in front of'the arm 7 and secure the latter in its vertical position. This bolt 12 is operated by the proper key, not shown,

pair of cam blocks 10, 10,'are secur'eci' which' is in the possession] of the owner of V the car so that the arm 7 cannot be fraudulently moved; "A.lug 13 on the'arm 7 limits the pivotal. movement of the arm in one direction, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The operation is as follows: Normally the split collar is .innthe dotted line position shown in Fig. 1; thatis to say, when the steering .Wheel is in use. comes to rest and it is desired to lock the same, the arm 7 is-swung outwardly at an angle to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, which releases the gripping action of the split collar 4 and allows the arm and split collarto be lifted. "The upper end'of the arm'7 is then moved inwardly between the spokes 3 with the crossbar 8 above the spokes, and the locking bolt'12 is'operated by the proper key to secure the arm in this position.

When the arm 7 is swung to the vertical position, the cam blocks 10 operate to con When the car tractthe collar 4 and grip the same around the post 1. When in this position, it is impossible to turn'the steering wheel, and by reason of the crossbar it is impossible to force the arm 7 downwardly, which action is, ofcourse, resisted by the split collar 4.

To'release the holding device, it is necessary to use the proper key to withdraw the bolt '12 when the arm 7 can be swung to the dotted line position of Fig. 1,,thus releasing the split collar 4 from its gripping action around the post 1 and the collar 4 and the arm can be moved downwardly and then the arm can be swung again to a vertical position, thereby clamping the collar around the post, and can be locked in this position by means of the bolt 12.

As above stated, the spring tongue 9 tends to move the arm to a vertical position and also acts as an anti-rattler to prevent noise from. vibrations V to which it is necessarily subjected.

Various slight changes may be made in the general form and arrangement of parts described without departing from the "invention, and hence we do not limit ourselves to the precise details set forth but consider ourselves at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim-z l. A device of the character stated, comprising a split collar adapted to be positioned around a steering column, an arm pivotally connected to the collar, cam blocks operatively connected to the arm and engaging a split collar and adapted to contract the collar when the arm is in a vertical position, and said arm adapted, when moved to a vertical position, to be positioned between the spokes of the wheel.

2;'A device of the character stated, comprisinga split collar adapted to be positionedaround a' steering column, an arm pivotally connected to the collar, cam blocks operatively connected to the arm and engaging a split collar and adapted to contract the collar when the arm is in avertical position, said arm adapted, when moved to a vertical position, to be positioned between the spokes of the wheel, a crossbar on the upperend of the arm adapted to engage 7 over the upper faces of the spokes of the wheel, and means for locking the arm in vertical position. 7

8. A device of the character stated, comprising a split spring collar, an arm pivotally connected to the collar, cam blocks operatively connected tothe arm and adapted to contract the collar when the arm is moved to a vertical position, said arm adapted, when in a vertical position, to be located secured to the split collar, and a bolt in said casing adapted. to be projected across the outer face of the position;

arm to hold in vertical 5; device of the character'stated, com prising a split collar adapted to be posi-.

tioned on a steering column, perforated lugs on said collar, a pin having. rotary mounting in said lugs, an arm secured to the pin and adapted to be moved into, a position between the spokes of a steering' 'wheehcam blocks on the pin adapted to engage the lugs andcontra'ct thecollar when firearm is in locking position, a spring secured to 1 the lower end of the arm and engaging'the p'ost, anda locking device on oneffof 'said lugs adapted to secure the arm in vert cal posltion. r a Y JAMEs W. HUNTER EDWIN WILLIAMSON; 

